Former law minister Anisul Huq and former state minister for information and communication technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak have been formally shown arrested in connection with an attempted murder case stemming from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Huq issued the order on Sunday afternoon following a formal hearing at the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrates’ Court. Public prosecutor Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon confirmed the judicial decision shortly after proceedings concluded.
The case centers on an incident on 18 July 2024, during the height of the student-led anti-government demonstrations across the capital. According to official case documents, a 25-year-old driver named Mamun joined the protests alongside his friends near the Jatrabari area at around 9:00 am. At approximately 3:00 pm, whilst demonstrators were gathered on the flyover in front of Jatrabari Police Station, gunfire was directed at the crowd.
Mamun suffered multiple gunshot wounds across his body, head, and left eye. Bystanders rushed him to Kazla Islamia Hospital in Jatrabari for immediate first aid before transferring him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for urgent surgical care. Following three days of treatment, his visual condition deteriorated sharply, prompting a transfer to the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital. Specialist physicians eventually confirmed that his left eye was permanently damaged beyond recovery.
On 30 September, Sub-Inspector Aowlad Hossain of Jatrabari Police Station, serving as the lead investigating officer, submitted a formal application requesting that the two former government figures be shown arrested in the case. The police petition noted that both Anisul Huq and Zunaid Ahmed Palak were already in custody under previous murder charges following the political transition in Bangladesh. Investigating officers asserted that preliminary evidence directly linked the former ministers to active decision-making roles in suppressing the student demonstrations on behalf of the ousted Awami League administration. Police emphasized that formal arrest orders were vital to conduct an impartial and thorough investigation into the shooting.
During Sunday’s hearing, defence counsel Farzana Yasmin Rakhi and her legal team vigorously opposed the arrest application, arguing against the necessity of adding further charges. Public prosecutor Shamsuddoha Sumon countered that early investigative findings established sufficient grounds regarding their involvement in the policy decisions surrounding police actions. After reviewing arguments from both sides, Magistrate Sarah Farzana Huq granted the prosecution’s petition.
Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government in August 2024, law enforcement agencies across Bangladesh have been investigating hundreds of cases related to violent clashes and casualties during the student-led unrest. Cabinet members, lawmakers, and senior officials of the former administration face ongoing legal proceedings across multiple jurisdictions in Dhaka.
